I was concerned at first because this book involved snake handling at a country church in NC, and I feel like this could be a cheap way of mocking faith in rural people. But fortunately Cash gave a nuanced view of at least a couple of his characters' faith. I wish he had fleshed out Julia and Ben, the parents of the boy who dies. They remained sketchy, and I wondered what motivated them. The contradiction between Julia's desire to have a sweet Christian family, and sleeping with the evil pastor Chambliss was never resolved.